Limitless: The Second Edition

Oliver

When we pull up to the restaurant, my heart quivers with excitement at the savory scents wafting from the building as I open my car door. The last remnants of an early January snow dot the flower beds. A cold breeze mixed with the welcoming aroma of the grille hits my face as soon as I open the car door and pull myself out. Getting out of the car is hard. Not because of the reason everyone might think, but because I'm so tall. I'm five feet, eleven inches. Just a quarter of an inch away from being six feet tall. This low to the ground car is not meant for tall people, especially tall people who use crutches all the time.

But it doesn't matter. The car is a trivial issue. I'm probably never going to be able to drive anyway.

I follow my family into the restaurant, feeling a pang of hunger as the scent of food grows stronger. I begin to wonder if Albert is here today. As if he can read my mind, Albert rounds the corner and makes a beeline for us.

"How's my favorite customer?" he exclaims upon seeing me. "I swear you've grown since I last saw you. How's school going, my man?"

I smile at him and lift a crutch in greeting. "Boy, do I have good news for you," I tell him. "I tried out for my school's musical today. We're doing Chain Breaker."

Albert laughs. "Oh boy. My granddaughter and her friends have this chick fight going on lately over who gets to date the kid who plays Enso on Broadway. My daughter even went out and got a costume of him to prove she's the ultimate fan."

I can't help but laugh myself. "I certainly hope that she wins that fight, then. Anyway, I got the lead role."

Albert's face lights up and he claps his hands. "That's amazing, Oliver!" He puts a hand on my shoulder. "Now, I know you've said how some of those football guys pick on you. I don't want you listening to them anymore. You're the lead actor. You're the star of the show. You make sure those guys treat you with respect. Got it?"

I look around, then back to him. "I don't like to fight."

"That's fine. Listen. I know a few lines from that show thanks to my granddaughter. The next time those guys try to give you a hard time, you look them in the eye and say, 'There's nothing wrong with me. You say I'm a disgrace, but I'm a real work of art. You say I've already lost, but I know I'm a winner.' Those last two sentences are lines from that one song, am I right?"

I nod. I kind of like this plan. And judging by the smiles on my parents' faces, they like it, too.

"Good. You keep doing that, and they won't mess with you once they realize they aren't getting to you. You know what, Carowskis? Your dinner is on me tonight. I'm real proud of you, Oliver. You've grown up to be a good young man. You'll have to come in some other time and tell me when the show is so that my wife and I can come see you."

"Thanks, Albert," I reply.

"No problem. Now go enjoy your dinner. We have your favorite on the buffet tonight, kielbasa and sauerkraut."

Aw yes.

Albert personally shows us to our booth. Once we're seated, it feels like forever until the waitress brings us our drinks. When she finally brings out my lemonade, along with Dad's diet soda and my mom's iced tea, I get up and make a mad dash for my favorite thing in this entire buffet like a cheetah chasing an antelope. I go to get a plate and then realize that I don't have any free hands. I have to hold onto my crutches. I feel a bit dejected, then suddenly have a vivid mental picture of Derek Anderson telling me that it's okay. I may need some help, and that's just fine. After all, Enso needed help from his adopted mom and sister in the musical, and he accepted it. I can be just like Enso. I need help, and after eighteen and a half years on this planet, I might as well accept it.

My dad walks up to me and notices me staring longingly at the kielbasa and sauerkraut. "I was wondering where you were going in such a rush," he says quietly and kindly. "Don't worry. You put the food on the plate, and I'll carry it for you."

I smile at him in thanks, then proceed to dump heaping spoonfuls of the delicious goodness on my plate. With Dad's help, I decide to also get some Brussels sprouts, a light and buttery roll, and some mashed potatoes. I patiently follow my dad around while he gets his own plate, then back to the table.

I'm busy digging into the delectable plateful of awesomeness when my dad suddenly picks up his glass of soda like a microphone.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," he dramatically says into the straw, sounding like an announcer with a horrifically bad New York accent. "Tonight I'm here with Littlefield's very own eighteen-year-old Oliver Carowski, the very first high school Enso from the hit Broadway show Chain Breaker. He'll be playing the lead role at Littlefield High School in March. Say, Oliver, how does it feel to be cast in such a stellar role?"

I roll my eyes and don't even look up at him. "Dad. I'm eating. Can this wait?"

"Sorry, ladies and gentlemen. It appears that Mr. Carowski is busy at the moment," Dad continues with his awful accent.

"If I answer your question, will you promise not to embarrass me any further?"

"Anything for the star of the show," Dad answers with a wink.

"Okay, good. Anyway, it feels great to be casted in such a prestigious role. I wish more than anything that Derek Anderson could see the show. He's my hero. He's the reason I even had the guts to try out for this show. And also, I hope that this will give those football guys some reason to show me a bit of respect and stop messing with me."

Dad swirls the straw around, then continues with the mock interview. "I'll bet you those guys are just like the bad guy - what's his name again?"

"Anjan"

"Anjan. Thank you. Anyway, didn't Anjan turn out to be a huge coward when confronted by Enso?"

I give him a thumbs-up. "Yep. The second his target became bold enough to stand up to him, he crumbled like a cookie and backed away like a scared dog."

Just then, Albert walks by. "Can I chime into this little interview?" He leans on the table. "Most bullies are exactly like Anjan, Oliver. They pick on others just to inflate their already over inflated egos but are actually chickens when it comes down to it. So just show off your confidence, and don't react. That's what they want. They just want to get a rise out of you. So don't back down, stand up. You got this."

I glance up at him, a wave of newfound confidence washing over me. "I think you're right. I do got this."